


To the edge

by MyLadyDay



Series: Ficlet collections [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Breakfast in Bed, Christmas, Fluff, M/M, king shanks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:30:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2183211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLadyDay/pseuds/MyLadyDay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ShanksBenn drabbles, prompted by Aerle or part of our pairing exchange challenge :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birthday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aerle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerle/gifts).



The incessant beeping woke him up and Benn reached to his alarm clock, hitting it in an attempt to stop the damn noise. Unfortunately, he was disappointingly unsuccessful and the sound continued.

"Shanks?" he called out, now awake enough to recognize the sound of the kitchen fire alarm. It wouldn't have been his first guess, seeing as he hadn't heard the sound very often.

"Don't get out of bed!" the redhead yelled back just before the sound finally stopped. Benn leaned back into the pillow with a sigh, closing his eyes and throwing his arm over them. The day was off to a bad start, it seemed, though still better than what he was expecting. Birthdays, especially his own, were never high on the list of things he liked.

Clinking and soft cursing from the kitchen didn't elude him, but he stayed silent and still, eyes closed as he wished he could sleep the day away. Knowing Shanks was just out of reach seemed to make the feeling worse and highlighted just how old he was compared to the redhead. Soft footsteps made their way through the hall, accompanied by the scraping of ceramics over wood as Shanks walked. Benn made no attempt to move, feeling the mattress dip as Shanks sat down next to him followed by clinking of dishes as he set what Benn presumed was his wooden tray.

"Hey," Shanks said softly. "Are you awake?" his voice seemed to waver just the tiniest bit and that was enough to make Benn remove his arm from his eyes and look at the other. The redhead looked surprisingly bashful, averting his gaze in a poor attempt at avoiding eye contact. His face, so young and innocent to Benn's eyes, was dirtied with a thin layer of flour on one cheek and chocolate on his forehead. He didn't seem to be aware of either, but Benn noticed and it was almost enough to make him smile.

Instead, he looked down to the other's lap and noticed the tray laden with pancakes, two cups of coffee and two chocolate cupcakes. Now that was cause for surprise, knowing that Shanks wasn't exactly knowledgeable when it came to cooking. The pancakes were slightly darker than they should have been and the frosting on the cupcakes was slightly on the runny side, but all Benn could do was chuckle.

Shanks flinched at the sound and tried harder to avoid the other's gaze.

"I'm sorry, I..." he started, finding it hard to decide on the right words. "The alarm..." he tried again, but it didn't seem to work in his benefit. "Happy birthday," he said finally, sighing a little in disappointment. Benn already knew how to decipher the man and the situation was all too clear to him.

Toning down the chuckling into a soft smile, Benn sat up and swiftly leaned forward. His fingers brushed the flour from Shanks' face, cupping his cheek to bring his gaze towards Benn. When he was sure Shanks was looking at him, Benn finally spoke.

"Thank you."

Shanks relaxed visibly, his trademark grin finally appearing after Benn planted a kiss on his lips before trying the pancakes. Maybe birthdays weren't all that bad.


	2. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Royal AU Christmas fic for Aerle

The throne room was more crowded than it had any right to be on such an important holiday, as far as Shanks was concerned. It wasn’t enough of a reason for all of them to contain their greed for just one day, clearly, as virtually all the courtiers lined up to demand something. He had no intention of fulfilling most of the requests, of course, which made all of it a bigger waste of his time than he cared for. 

Benn stood just behind his left shoulder, his presence hidden only slightly by the shadow of the canopy above the throne. Shanks himself couldn’t see him, but simply knowing Benn was there came as a comfort. Really, it was the only thing he could count on, Benn at his side no matter how dire or boring a situation. His calm was the only reason for Shanks’ calm most of the time even if he wanted nothing more than to scream in frustration at the people pawing at him for more riches. Shanks let out a heavy sigh, feeling beyond frustrated at the sight of so many people in front of him when he could catch glimpses of the wonderful snowy courtyard through the big windows to his right. It was still snowing, too.

As soon as the sigh left him, Shanks could barely make out the way Benn cleared his throat, the sound low, but cutting through the murmur of the crowd until a hush fell over the room. Shanks was king and yet his main advisor was the one who could quiet a room with no effort at all. A lesser man, or king, might have felt threatened, but Shanks knew Benn was the most loyal person in the room by far.

“Thank you for your time,” Benn said, voice clear and steady. “The king will retire for the day.”

The displeasure in the room was almost palpable, but Shanks didn’t care, not when Benn let him finish his kingly duties early. It didn’t even matter that this was Benn’s decision alone and he technically acted without the king’s permission. Well, that wasn’t exactly new and Shanks didn’t really mind, Benn was, after all, better at most matters Shanks was meant to concern himself with. This was just further proof that they were an amazing team. 

A fact that was proven to be even more true as soon as the two left the throne room alone, after a moment of whispering between Benn and the head guard, and were met by a valet holding both their heavy winter coats. Benn was the one to help Shanks put his fur lined coat on, dismissing the valet before speaking.

“You could have at least pretended that you weren’t bored,” Benn said, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. 

“How could I not be bored when I was stuck in there on Christmas day, Benn!” Shanks spoke indignantly, completely unfit of a man his age and a king, no less. He was still huffing at the unfairness of it all while Benn pulled him along through the empty hall and towards the doors leading to the king’s chambers and a small private garden on the terrace beyond his rooms. Even with the coat on, Shanks didn’t exactly think that they’d be going outside, not until he was halfway through the sitting room and towards the terrace door, only stopping to take off his crown and leave it by the fireplace. 

Shanks was already outside, snow piling on his hair and shoulders by the time Benn joined him, two cups of chocolate in his hands. The strong aroma of rum was hard to miss and Shanks couldn’t help but grin, happy that Benn thought of absolutely everything. As soon as the cup was safely in Shanks’ hand, Benn leaned in and pressed his lips against Shanks’ hairline where the crown left angry red marks from the ridiculous weight of the gold. 

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered, leaning against Shanks, knowing they were alone here, hidden from prying eyes. Only then did Shanks finally feel like it was a holiday, with rum laced chocolate in his hand, warming his fingers with Benn by his side. The snow falling into his cup wasn’t important. 


	3. Wrong number

“Marco, I clenched a rose stalk between my butt cheeks and now I have a thorn stuck in there, what do I do?” a distressed voice shouted out of the receiver as soon as Benn connected the call. He had no time to even say hello, though he found himself too shocked to respond when he heard the question.

Benn stayed silent for a moment, sure his mouth was hanging open a tiny bit. He even removed the phone from his ear for a moment to check who was calling him, though the number wasn’t one he had in his contacts. 

“Marco, help me!” the voice called out again and Benn put the phone back to his ear.

“First you should realize you called the wrong number,” Benn started, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Second, why would you clench a rose between your butt cheeks without removing the thorns first? That just sounds like poor planning to me.”

It was not his mysterious caller’s turn to stay silent and shocked, Benn supposed, but the silence lingered a bit too long. Long enough for Benn to check the phone to see if the stranger had hung up on him. 

“You’re not Marco,” the stranger said, sounding awfully strained. “Do you know how to remove a thorn from a butt? Asking for a friend, of course.”

Benn couldn’t help but snort at that before laughing outright a moment later when he heard a low chuckle through the phone. He decided to play along, though, considering he was thoroughly bored in the empty bookshop. It was the slowest time of the day because most people were at work and now that he’d thought of that, he couldn’t fathom what the hell this guy was doing. 

“Of course,” he said with a smirk as he leaned on the counter, resigned that this would probably be a long conversation. “Well, I think your friend should go to the emergency room and have a professional remove it.”

“That’s embarrassing, though,” the stranger said, sounding oddly like he was thinking about it. “Say, are you a professional by any chance? Again, asking for a friend.”

“A professional thorn remover, from butts or otherwise?” Benn asked, completely unable to comprehend that these were actual words that left his mouth. “I can’t say that I am, no.” He took a sip of his coffee to keep himself from laughing out loud.

“Too bad, you sound like you’d know what to do with my butt,” the stranger said and Benn sputtered, snorting the mouthful of coffee and he could swear some of it sprayed out of his nose. He started coughing violently, his eyes watering while the stranger on the phone laughed loudly. “Oh man, laughing makes the thorn move, but I still can’t figure out where exactly it is.”

“Maybe your friend could help you if you manage to call his number,” Benn said, voice hoarse from coughing. 

“Tired of talking to me already… uh, what’s your name again?” the stranger asked.

“Benn,” he replied. “Pleasure to meet you, I’m sure. About that friend of yours?” he prompted, even though he wasn’t sure he wanted to finish this call. 

“I’m Shanks,” he stranger told him cheerily. “What friend? Marco? Nah, only thing he has stuck up his butt is a huge stick he hadn’t been able to get out of there for the last ten years. He can’t help me.”

“You were trying to call him first, though,” Benn pointed out. “And I’m not exactly helping you either, am I?”

Shanks huffed. “Not with that attitude,” he said. “Come on, Benn, you sound like a smart person. Help me out here.”

“Why were you even clenching a rose between your butt cheeks?” Benn asked instead, ignoring what Shanks had said. “Is that what passes for seduction these days?”

“I was trying something out,” Shanks replied. “You know, for science.”

“Yes, clenching a thorny rose stalk between your butt cheeks for science, as you do.” At this point, Benn was no longer surprised about the words leaving his mouth. This was the weirdest conversation he’d had from the first words uttered by Shanks and he wasn’t about to start thinking it might get less weird at some point. 

“You make it sound weird.”

“Because it is weird,” Benn said with a snort. 

“I’m sure you’ve done something questionable in your lifetime,” Shanks told him knowingly. “You sound experienced.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that, knowing Shanks was telling him he sounded old. Maybe he wasn’t exactly old, but he wasn’t that young anymore either and Shanks was completely right in his assumption that he’d done some weird things back in the day. Still, he was at least experienced enough not to rise to that bait.

“Are you calling me old?” he asked instead and grinned at the laughter he got in reply.

“I’m saying you sound,” Shanks paused with a hum, as if he was thinking about his answer, “mature. Yeah, that’s the word I’m looking for.”

“So, old.” 

“Well, if you keep this up, I might think that you are old with such poor hearing,” Shanks said. “How old are you, then?”

“Thirty-seven,” he said and hoped Shanks wasn’t some barely legal kid. He didn’t sound that young, but his actions spoke of a special kind of immature personality. 

“Well, I’m only a year younger so if you’re old, I am too,” Shanks replied and Benn almost missed the sigh of relief he let out. 

“Yet you’re not old enough to have some common sense to go to the ER,” Benn chided. He assumed it didn’t hurt as much anymore considering Shanks hadn’t mentioned it in a while, but leaving the thorn stuck wasn’t a good idea probably.

“I will have you know that I texted a friend of mine that’s a nurse,” Shanks said matter-of-factly.

“You have a friend that’s a nurse?” Benn asked and waited for Shanks to hum in confirmation before he continued. “And you called your so called useless friend instead of a nurse first?”

“Obviously I wasn’t thinking straight because of the pain,” Shanks said. “This is a very traumatic experience for me.”

Benn couldn’t help but snort again, but any reply he might have had was cut off by the sound of a doorbell ringing followed by an excited yell from Shanks.

“That’s Yasopp!” he shouted. “I have to go, but I’ll let you know how it went! Bye, Benn!” 

With that, the call was cut off and Benn set down his phone. Well, that was… unexpected. He couldn’t say he wasn’t interested in hearing from Shanks again, though. 


	4. Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rare-pair exchange challenge with Aerle, take 1: cop and vigilante AU

When the phone rang in the middle of the night, Shanks knew it was a really bad crime scene. They always were and he was sure he'd never get used to it. At the same time, he was afraid that he might get used to the very worst crime scenes and where would that leave him.

It was Yasopp that called him, like he usually did, after getting the call from dispatch. Shanks wasn't sure why his partner always got the first call and not him, but he'd usually forget to ask by the time morning rolled around and they'd been at the crime scene all night with crappy coffee. Yasopp was even more vague than usual, only saying he'd be by to pick Shanks up.

He should have noticed that was weird the moment it happened, but he was half asleep and didn't think about it until they pulled up to the park in the middle of town. It was empty then, other than the yellow police tape and the officers around it, but on a normal night, the place was crawling with criminals of all sorts. Dead bodies weren't that uncommon either, what with the gang activity in the area, but Shanks knew immediately that this was different.

For one, they wouldn't have been called in if it was a gang related crime.

Things only got worse from there, when Shanks had seen the body and recognized the victim. How could he not, they'd been staring at his picture for the past week while trying to solve the case of his disappearance. Shanks scrubbed a hand over his face, frustration rising in him because they'd failed. They didn't find him in time and now he was dead and Shanks would be the one to notify the family. It was hard to pick the absolute worst part of the job, but calling the family of a victim was probably it.

Until morning, though, they had work to do and evidence to examine and Shanks had never been so happy to leave a crime scene. Sometimes, Shanks really wished he could go a week without a call like this one.

It was draining, not just because of the interrupted sleep, but the simple fact that he dealt with death on a regular basis and so it was a relief when they finished setting up the board and going through crime scene photos and evidence with enough time to spare for a trip back home. Shanks already knew he'd be late to work in the morning as soon as Yasopp dropped him off at the curb in front of his apartment building, but he didn't say it. They'd been partners long enough for Yasopp to know when a case got to Shanks more than it probably should have, just like Shanks the same about Yasopp.

The lights were off, just as Shanks had left them, but he immediately noticed the figure sitting in the too fancy chair by the window in the corner of his living room. He immediately knew who it was as well, even without turning on the light, which was why he opted for turning on just the small lamp on his desk nearby.

It was just bright enough to illuminate the dark suit and the hood he was clutching in his hands, his ruffled graying hair and the sharp lines of his face. Shanks knew that face well and the sad expression that was on it almost broke his heart.

"I couldn't save him," Benn said, his voice so soft and broken, more dejected than Shanks had ever heard him. "I was there. Left after you and Yasopp showed up."

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Benn continued after taking a deep shaky breath, his hands clutching the hood so tight, his knuckles turned white. "There's more of those I don't save these days."

The words did break his heart then and Shanks walked forward, taking the crumpled fabric out of Benn's hands gently before setting it aside. From this close, he could see the bruise on Benn's jaw and the rips in his suit, the torn skin on his hands he hadn't been able to see from where he stood before.

"Are you hurt?" Shanks asked, Benn's wellbeing a priority at the moment. "Anything broken or stabbed?"

Benn just shook his head without looking up, still staring at his hands.

"You're sure you want to stop?" he asked next, lowering his voice as he knelt down in front of the chair so he could look at Benn if Benn refused to look at him.

"Yes," Benn breathed out. "I've reached my limit and I can't go further."

Shanks took Benn's hands in his. "Okay," he replied softly. "Come on, let's get you to bed," he added, pulling him up gently and towards the bedroom, only stopping by the bathroom for Benn to wash his face and hands from the blood.

Shanks stripped quickly, throwing his clothes towards the chair, but not really looking what he was aiming for, before he stood in front of Benn again, helping him out of the suit. As soon as the suit was off, Shanks was already pulling Benn towards the bed, gently easing him under the blanket before sliding in as well. Benn's arms enveloped him the moment he was lying down and Shanks let him, wriggling only enough to make himself comfortable, with Benn's head tucked under his chin and Shanks' arms circling his shoulders tightly.

He could feel the puffs of air against his neck, each shuddering breath, as he moved one arm enough to stroke against Benn's back, tracing patterns into his skin until he could feel Benn's breathing slow and calm.

"You're still a hero," Shanks said before pressing a kiss to the top of Benn's head, knowing that his words were heard.

"I'm not so sure," Benn replied several moments later, reluctant and quiet and Shanks couldn't stand it.

"You are to me."


	5. Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower shop AU for the rare-pair exchange with Aerle, AU chosen by yours truly

It had been a month already, since Benn opened the shop and yet he still marveled at how quaint the old part of town was with the small shops lining the main street with an antique front and big polished windows. The sight was all the more beautiful this early in the morning, when the street was empty of all the tourists and people milling about, drinking coffee in the numerous coffee shops.

There was nothing outside but Benn and his steaming cup of coffee, enjoying the warm rays of the sun in then chilly early autumn morning. Days like these were his favorites, something that hasn't changed in a long while. Of course, it was easier to enjoy early mornings and warm coffee when he wasn't deployed overseas. Not that he had anything even remotely tasting like coffee over there.

As he walked down the street, he could see the other shop owners setting up, some of them waving at him as he walked by. This was a tightly knit community and he was introduced to everyone within the first two days, but he'd only gotten to know Marco and Thatch from the bakery and Ace from the tattoo shop a bit better.

As usual, Marco was smoking in front of the bakery with a small orange box in his hand, which he offered to Benn as soon as he was close enough.

"What is it today?" Benn asked, taking the box from Marco and already looking forward to whatever it was that Thatch had baked for him to try.

"Mint and chocolate cupcakes," Marco said, taking another drag from his cigarette, attention entirely on the tattoo shop window down the street, right next to Benn's flower shop. It was ridiculously adorable and that was saying something from him, after knowing Marco since their army days.

"Gonna ask him out today?" Benn asked, nodding towards the tattoo shop.

"Maybe," Marco said with a shrug. "Maybe not."

Benn snorted at that, noticing the smile tugging at the corner of Marco's lips. "Great plan," he said. "I'll ask him out if you don't." He started backing away towards his shop with the box in hand and a grin on his face as he stared at Marco.

It was Marco's turn to snort before she called after Benn. "You're too old for that, grandpa!"

"You're my age, oldtimer," Benn replied before waving at Marco and turning around, almost at his door.

He was still a few steps away, but noticed immediately that there was something off with the lock. Despite being retired, he could still recognize when there was a threat. At the moment, he wasn't sure whether there was an actual threat or not, but there was only one way to find out.

Carefully, he opened the door, immediately setting the box and coffee on the windowsill on the inside before he went further into the shop, slowly surveying the area for any signs of an intruder. Some of the flowers were out of place, a few stalks broken on the stands near the door.

A groan from behind the counter drew his attention and Benn walked over, still careful and calculating, but more at ease now that the intruder, who was dumb enough to still be there, sounded like he was hurt.

"Can you stop sneaking around, you're gonna give me a heart attack," a voice sounded from behind the counter, rough and pained sounding.

Benn sighed and leaned over the counter, only to find a man sitting on the floor, dressed in all black with hands covered in blood, pressed against his thigh. That didn't look good at all.

"Gunshot?" he asked, figuring he should help the guy first because having someone die in his shop might be bad for business.

"Stab wound," the guy said with a grimace, but Benn only nodded, going into the back to get his first aid kit. "You're not gonna pull out a weapon and kill me, right?" the guy asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm going to clean and dress your wound, maybe put stitches if you need them," Benn replied as he came back. "We'll see about the rest after."

It had been a long time since he'd had to treat a wound like this, but it wasn't something you'd forget just because you're no longer a medic.

"Are you a doctor?" the guy asked while Benn worked, sounding more composed than his usual patients.

"I work in a flower shop," Benn said with a raised eyebrow. "But I was a medic in the army."

"I'm Shanks, by the way," the guy said, but didn't offer his hand for a handshake.

"Benn," he replied, without looking away from the wound. "So, mind telling me why you're bleeding out in my shop?"

"I was working, got jumped and stabbed, managed to get away and this seemed like the best place to hide," Shanks said with a shrug.

"How did you figure that?" Benn asked, genuinely curious. He tactfully ignored the part about working considering Shanks looked like he was up to something illegal before he got stabbed which, honestly, only helped solidify that thought.

"Well, I'm still alive so I was obviously right," Shanks said before wincing as Benn tied the knot and cut off the rest of the thread. "Are you done?"

Benn looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're welcome."

"Thank you," Shanks said quickly. "I am forever in your debt."

"Sure," Benn said with a snort before he stood and went back into the back room to wash his hands and put the first aid kit where it was. He took his time, certain that Shanks would disappear if given the chance, and Benn really wasn't planning on calling the cops so it was the best option.

Just as he thought, the front room was empty when he finally went back. The only thing that suggested someone had been there was a small puddle of blood on the tile floor and a note with one of the daisies on top of it, left on the counter.

'I'll be back to thank you properly. I owe you a cupcake, btw' the note said and Benn couldn't help the snort before he got the mop and cleaned up before he had to open the shop for the day.


	6. Q

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aerle picked spy AU and this was the worst thing I have ever written
> 
> Benn is Q, obviously, and Shanks is 007

Shanks could admit he went down to Q Branch maybe more often than necessary, unlike every other 00-agent who avoided going down there if possible. Something about Q being scary as hell and all that, but Shanks didn't see it. What he saw was a very attractive man with grey hair and a wicked smile.

It didn't matter how often he went there, though, the rest of the research and development team would still give him weird and incredulous looks whenever he showed up and made his way straight to Q. They thought he was even more crazy than the average 00-agent, he knew that and didn't really blame anyone. He did have that reputation for a reason, as Q reminded him every chance he got.

"Back again, 007?" Q asked without looking up from whatever he was doing at his station, his voice even, but Shanks could tell there was probably a smirk on his face. "What did you destroy this time?"

"Can't I come down here because I miss you?" he asked with a grin, sitting on the chair behind where Q was sitting that definitely wasn't there the first time he dropped by, but had mysteriously shown up after a couple of his visits.

"You seem to miss me an awful lot right after you break something," Q said and finally turned around on his swivel chair, leaning back as he crossed his arms before his chest, leveling Shanks with a stern glare. "So, what was it?"

Shanks probably wasn't as afraid of that as he should have been and it looked like Q knew it. The glare only deepened.

"You crashed the car again, didn't you?"

Well, he wasn't wrong per se, but Shanks really didn't come down there because of the car. "That's neither here nor there," Shanks replied diplomatically, which was unlike him enough for Q to crack a smile.

"I'll take that as a yes," Q said with a snort.

"Maybe," Shanks admitted. Well, technically admitted.

"And where is it?" Q asked, arching an eyebrow.

"See, well," Shanks started, "that's the thing. There isn't much of a car left."

Q glared for real now, Shanks assumed, and time it was scary. He was sure he head one of the junior researchers startle and drop something as a result.

"I'm sorry," Shanks said quickly and hesitantly, noting that the glare wasn't softening in the slightest. "I can make it up to you?" he added, more like a question than a statement.

This resulted in another arched eyebrow and Shanks was confident he'd get somewhere with this.

"And how would you do that?" Q asked, sounding like he didn't believe there was a way Shanks could possibly make it up to him.

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it," Shanks replied, as if that was the most brilliant idea he'd ever had. It probably wasn't. But it did make the glare fall off of Q's face and for a moment, Shanks was terrified again because that smirk could lead to nothing good.

"I'll think about it," Q said, sounding more smug than Shanks figured would be possible. "You should go now, 007," he added before swiveling back towards his desk.

Shanks did as he was told, for once, and hurried towards the stairs with a grin too big probably, ignoring the shocked faces of the rest of the research and development division he was leaving in his wake.


	7. At the kitchen table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things you said at the kitchen table for aerle

Luffy was sniffling loudly, his eyes red and puffy from both the crying and the constant sneezing. Shanks was holding him close, trying to calm him down and get him to drink something like the doctor said, but in all honesty, Shanks was slowly starting to freak out along with Luffy. 

He had no idea how to take care of a kid, let alone a sick one, and he couldn’t remember anything he ever heard or read about caring for a child. It was the worst possible time to start panicking and he knew it, but there was nothing he could do about that at the moment. Luffy was his priority, even in the middle of a possible panic attack.

The doorbell interrupted those thoughts, though, and Shanks was grateful for it as it distracted him from panicking and freaking Luffy out even more. The door opened a moment later, before Shanks could even move from the living room and relief washed over him in an instant because only one other person had a key to his apartment.

Benn walked in with a big bag of stuff and a smile on his face that only grew wider when he saw Shanks and Luffy.

“Hey,” he said, coming to a stop next to Shanks only for long enough to run a hand through Luffy’s hair in greeting before he was moving towards the kitchen. “I only got your text when I got off work, I came over as soon as I could. Is he doing any better?”

Shanks followed him into the kitchen, sitting down at the table with Luffy still secure in his arms. The sniffling had stopped and he leaned his head against Shanks’ shoulder, but remained so uncharacteristically quiet that Shanks couldn’t help but still worry about him. 

“The fever went down,” Shanks said with a heavy sigh, “but he’s still coughing a lot.”

As if on cue, Luffy started coughing against Shanks’ neck, his tiny body trembling with the force of it. Shanks could do nothing but run a hand against his back, feeling powerless about the whole thing. 

“I brought some cough syrup,” Benn said, like an actual angel sent from the skies. “And I got you groceries because I figured you wouldn’t go out, other than to see a doctor, while he’s like this.”

Shanks might have fallen in love more on the spot, just looking at Benn moving around his kitchen and putting groceries away as if he knew the place inside and out. He probably did at this point, honestly.

When Shanks didn’t reply, Benn turned towards him, his face an image of confusion for a moment before he moved closer, pulling up a chair and taking a seat next to Shanks at the kitchen table. His arms came around Shanks and Luffy both as he planted a kiss to the side of Shanks’ head.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to help,” he said in that way of his, as if he knew everything that was going through Shanks’ head. He probably did too, Shanks was almost sure of it, but at the moment, he was also incredibly grateful too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bodyguard au for the exchange with aerle

The first shot came right in the middle of a lull in the speech and only Shanks' quick thinking got Governor Beckman out of the line of fire. If he had time for it, Shanks would have stopped breathing for the moment it took to notice the bullet would have hit the Governor right in the chest.

As it was, Shanks was too busy shielding him as they made it for the closest door, ignoring the screaming crowd around them. No one said a word beyond the shouted orders Shanks was giving out as they moved through the kitchens and out the back door of the hotel where a car was waiting. At least Shanks could rest easy knowing the team he'd assembled was good at their jobs because everything went without a hitch and they were driving through the city in a matter of minutes.

The ride was surprisingly silent, compared to the cacophony of voices and noises around them as soon as that first shot rang out. It was almost eerie, but Shanks didn't have time to think about that as they somehow made it to the residence in no time at all.

This time, Shanks didn't have to give out orders; the team knew they had to secure the perimeter while Shanks himself escorted the Governor inside, where they were finally alone.

"That was too close," Shanks said, running a hand through his hair.

"You were there to save me, though," Benn said. "Yet again."

"That's not the point," Shanks replied, a bit of anger and despair leaking into his voice.

Benn chose that moment to pull him into a hug, holding him so close that Shanks could feel the frantic beating of his heart.

"You're gonna be the death of me one day, you know," Shanks said with a sigh before he let his arms circle around Benn's middle.

It was inconvenient, how involved he'd gotten with the person he was supposed to protect, becoming too emotionally compromised to think about this as just another job. In the long run, that would benefit no one.

"You could put in a request for a transfer to a different client," Benn said, though his voice was low, as if he wasn't too sure of what he was saying.

"And leave you with someone I don't know?" Shanks asked, scoffing at the mere idea. "Not a chance."

Benn snorted at that, Shanks could feel the puff of air against his hair. He said nothing though, and Shanks couldn't help but be grateful for it in a way.

"Come on," Benn said after a few more moments spent in blessed silence, before he stepped away, grabbing Shanks by the hand.

Shanks didn't protest when he was led upstairs and into the master bedroom, where Benn removed his suit jacket and shoes, prompting Shanks to do the same. Benn led him to the bed, making him sit down before dropping to his knees. His arms wound around Shanks' middle before he buried his face into the white fabric of Shanks' shirt.

Shanks took it as an invitation to comb his fingers through Benn's hair, knowing how it calmed him when he was stressed. He hadn't noticed it much before, but Shanks couldn't help but see all the grays that crept into the inky black of Benn's hair as of late.

"Your hair's turning white," he said idly, fingers threading gently through the strands that were so neatly combed earlier, now loose and soft under his touch.

"I know," Benn replied against Shanks' chest before inhaling deeply. "Maybe it's a sign I'm getting too old for this."

Shanks' hand stilled for a moment, but continued moving soon after, the movement doing much to calm Shanks as well.

"Thinking of retiring?" Shanks asked, though in reality he knew Benn was far from too old for the job he was doing.

"Who knows," Benn said, as mysterious as ever. Shanks said nothing, though, sliding his fingers through Benn's hair and trying his best not to think of the calls he'd have to make to find out who tried to shoot Benn and why.


	9. Things you said at 1am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for aerle

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was the darkness. Who knew how much time had passed since he got Luffy out of the water with the last of his strength before passing out on the pier from the blood loss. The second, though, was Benn, sitting in a chair by the window with the moonlight shining on him from outside. 

Shanks had no idea if he was awake or not, what with his face hidden in the shadow.

“You almost died,” Benn said in a whisper, his voice as calm and even as ever. “What little was left of your arm had to be removed all the way to the shoulder.”

Shanks sighed before leaning back against the pillow. 

“Luffy’s worth it,” was the only answer he had, even though Benn hadn’t asked anything.

“I trust you,” Benn replied, nothing seemingly changing in his voice that seemed far too indifferent to anyone that didn’t know him like Shanks did. 

“How long do I have to stay in bed?” Shanks asked, changing the subject before they could even start talking about why exactly he thought Luffy was worth losing an arm for. 

“A couple of weeks at least,” Benn said. “Depends on how well you’re going to heal.”

Shanks nodded slightly, feeling his eyelids grow heavy all of a sudden. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this tired and he only had a moment to wonder how his arm didn’t hurt at all. Well, what was left of it, anyway. 

Somewhat hazily, he noticed Benn get up from the chair only to sit on the bed next to Shanks. A moment later, one of his hands, so warm and gentle, brushed the hair off Shanks’ forehead.

“You should sleep,” he said and Shanks was immediately closing his eyes. “You’ll be in a lot of pain tomorrow.”

“You need to sleep too,” Shanks mumbled, pulling at Benn’s arm a little. “Stay here, there’s enough room for the both of us,” he added, though he had no idea where they actually were. It definitely wasn’t the ship, Shanks would have probably noticed that at least.

Benn didn’t hesitate to settle in on the bed, his back against the headboard so Shanks could lean against his side and doze off immediately. Benn’s hand found its way into his hair again, soothing and gentle, lulling him into sleep with a sense of calm.

“You’re a damn fool,” Benn said, Shanks could just barely hear it as he was on the cusp of sleep, but he heard anyway and he didn’t miss just how affectionate he sounded.


End file.
